10 Worst WWE Gimmicks Of 2018
'Crazy' women, boring monsters, racial stereotypes... is this 2018 or 1998?!
Like so many other aspects of their modern creative output, WWE's characters got extremely messy in 2018.
It was another year of convoluted motivations, contradictory storylines, jarring week-to-week inconsistencies, heroes who act like villains, and heels who act like babyfaces. Never before has the WWE roster been so densely populated with bland personalities. They aren't incapable of getting it right from time to time (see: Lynch, Becky), but creating compelling, interesting, layered gimmicks that compel people to invest in them is a struggle, and creative don't seem to have the answers.
But while we bemoan the lack of individuality WWE impart into talented wrestlers, their creative floor is significantly higher than it was even a year ago. God-awful gimmicks rarely leave the cutting room floor. Yes, WWE's character development sucks, but it's been a while since we saw something as catastrophic as Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson: testicle enthusiasts.
Although none of the names within stooped that low, WWE must be taken to task for the way they've presented such talented performers throughout the year that was. Let's hope 2019 brings improved fortunes (and written material) for each of them - at least they're trying to make it work...
10. Jinder Mahal: Man Of Peace
2018 saw WWE present Jinder Mahal for what he is: a preliminary f*cking wrestler.
His failed World Title reign yielded no upturn in business in the targeted Indian marketplace, rendering months of cumbersome matches and unlistenable, strained promos pointless. Pushed for his impressive vascularity, this big, sweaty man was badly exposed throughout, with his outdated wrestling style and inability to utter a sentence without his voice breaking presenting him as a man pushed way over his head.
This was addressed upon joining Raw earlier this year, with 'The Modern Day Maharaja' shunted towards the bottom of the card soon after. Unfortunately, this period also saw Mahal go from one garbage gimmick to another.
The generic foreign heel of old claimed he'd 'found tranquillity.' Reverting to the old 'Man Of Peace' gimmick he briefly worked in early 2017, Jinder took on a Zen-like character, rambling about his 'Shanti' and practising breathing exercises backstage. It's paper-thin. The idea of such a gimmick existing in a universe built on scripted combat could make for some interesting material with the right amount of focus, but little effort has been put into Jinder's new persona, leaving it feeling one-dimensional.